The first bishop of the new diocese of Yopougon, Bishop Laurent Mandjo, welcomed the missionaries on September 6, 1991.
A small community composed of three missionary priests and five missionary women started their path of inculturation by visiting different areas of the mission and listening to the people upon their arrival in the vast territory entrusted to them, in order to understand their needs and urgencies. The initial activities focused on spiritual formation and human promotion.
The missionaries begin their apostolate among the population. They temporarily stay for several months in a house at the diocesan spirituality center "Mgr. Chappoulie" and visit the different neighborhoods to learn about the local reality. Despite the inevitable difficulties at the beginning, it is with patience, joy, and perseverance that the work of evangelization and the building of structures for the new parish are undertaken. Frequent meetings are organized with local leaders to build together and walk united in the creation of a family-community.
In 1989, Catholic Christians from the village of Kouté started the construction of a large church on a piece of land at the entrance of the village. Considering the birth of the new parish, the project was updated to allow for the construction of a larger church.
In March 1994, the works resumed thanks to a first donation from the congregation "Propaganda Fide" and continued with donations from numerous parishioners and Italian friends.
To address the serious health problems of the inhabitants of the precarious Sicobois neighborhood, which at the time had a population of 60,000, a medical center was opened to provide basic care and pharmacy services. Over the years, the center gradually strengthened until it became possible to build a larger one with more services a few kilometers away.
In September 2002, an attempted coup d'état turned into an armed uprising. The country was divided into two areas: the north and a part of the center held by rebels, and the south held by government forces.
The situation of instability subsequently experienced ups and downs until it degenerated into a post-electoral crisis in late 2010 that killed more than 3,000 people and displaced about a million people.
The missionaries chose to stay close to the populations, and the mission became a place of refuge and welcome for thousands of people. More than 8,000 people could be accommodated in a single day.
The Saint Laurent Multipurpose Center offers multiple services to the population of Yopougon in the areas of health, education, and development projects.
The ground floor houses the medical center, the management of literacy schools, and the coordination offices for development projects.
The entire first floor is reserved for the library for young people in the community, with two study rooms and a room for computer use. The rooms also host cultural activities and business training.
On the second floor, there is a large room for spiritual retreats, conferences, and many courses on various topics, such as human rights, non-violent conflict management, accounting, and savings culture.
Two missionary priests and two missionaries leave Yopougon to found a new community in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. They are joined by other missionaries from different nations. Everyone mobilizes to accompany them on this new adventure.
